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Research on conventional leaching process and leaching kinetics of a hard rock uranium mine

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Abstract

To investigate the leaching rules and mechanism of a hard rock uranium ore, this paper conducted conventional leaching experiments based on the chemical composition and mineral occurrence status of the ore. Various factors affecting leaching were explored, and experimental data were fitted using the shrinking-core model. The results showed that uranium in the ore mainly existed in the form of pitchblende and coffinite, and the uranium grade of the sample was 0.15%. Under the leaching conditions of a temperature of 50 °C, a particle size of  − 100 mesh, an acid dosage of 32 kg t−1, a pyrolusite dosage of 10 kg t−1, a liquid–solid ratio of 1:1, and an 8 h duration, the leaching rate of the uranium ore reached 99.12%. The leaching process was controlled by solid film diffusion, and the apparent activation energy was 11.6 kJ mol−1. Insoluble substances were present on the surface of the slag, and the solid film product was the main reason hindering leaching.

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Acknowledgements

This project was major supported by the Nuclear energy development project (technology for the mining and metallurgy of associated uranium resources – on the demonstration of uranium co-mining in Bayan Ura, Inner Mongolia) and China Uranium Industry Co., Ltd.- the Foundation of State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Resources and Environment Joint Innovation Fund Project (2022NRE-LH-15) .

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Resources and Environment, East China University of Technology, Nanchang, 330013, Jiangxi, China

    Zimin Zhang, Junhan Li, Haonan Li, Jiacheng Guo, Yuxin Chen & Rong Hua

  2. China National Uranium Corporation Limited, Beijing, 100013, China

    Xuebin Su

  3. Huaneng Xiapu Nuclear Power Corporation Limited, Ningde, 352000, Fujian, China

    Zimin Zhang

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  1. Zimin Zhang
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  2. Junhan Li
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Correspondence to Rong Hua.

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Zhang, Z., Li, J., Li, H. et al. Research on conventional leaching process and leaching kinetics of a hard rock uranium mine. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 332, 4929–4942 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-023-09234-3

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